


Red Rain

by Starsfallinglikerain



Category: Shadowhunters (TV), The Shadowhunter Chronicles - All Media Types, The Shadowhunter Chronicles - Cassandra Clare
Genre: Alternate Universe, Alternate Universe - Ancient Greece & Rome, Ancient Greece, Athenian!Alexander, Feelings, Fluff and Angst, M/M, Peloponnesian War, Spartan!Magnus, Starcrossed love story, War
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-02-10
Updated: 2017-02-21
Packaged: 2018-09-23 09:29:17
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Major Character Death
Chapters: 4
Words: 8,317
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/9649748
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Starsfallinglikerain/pseuds/Starsfallinglikerain
Summary: What begins as a relationship of hospitality and help between the Athenian Alexander and the Spartan Magnus in the summer of 429 BC quickly derails into a much more impetuous feeling, though they both acknowledge the risk of letting themselves be carried away by the reciprocal attraction, especially in an era when the two great poleis were fighting against each other in the Peloponnesian War.Red Rain is the story of love increasing rapidly, day by day, ad challenging war pitfalls and the contentiousness of fatal circumstances.





	1. The tavern

**Author's Note:**

> Hello everyone!   
> This is the first story (and AU) I've ever written about Malec and I'm really attached to it. The setting is Ancient Greece - mainly Sparta and Athens - during the Peloponnesian war in 429 BC. I've studied Ancient Greek at High School and I tried to be as much realistic as I could. At the end of the chapter you'll find further notes explaining all the references I made in the chapter.   
> Hope you'll like it, let me know in the comments. Also, I'd just like to say that I'm Italian, so I've translated this story into English: I apologise for the mistakes you could find (I'd be grateful if you have me notice and correct them). You can find the Italian version of the story on my profile on EFP (same nickname).  
> And a huge thank you to heartbreakerz for the banner.   
> I'll update soon, I promise. Kisses,  
> Starsfallinglikerain.

 

 

 

 

_Red rain is coming down_  
Red rain is pouring down  
Red rain is coming down all over me

_—_ Peter Gabriel _, Red rain_

 

_  
_ **Chapter One - The tavern**

 

 

_Sparta, 429 B.C._  
  


 

Alexander (or _Alec_ , as his sister used to call him) entered the Spartan tavern, finding a setting not so different from the one he would have found in Athens: several men, or better _warriors_ , were sitting at the tables, drinking wine, telling war anecdotes or making out with prostitutes.

_If it wasn't for people's accent, I could say I'm in Athens,_ he thought, looking around in search for a seat where he could rest, having reached his destination after many days spent walking.

He found a stool at the bottom of a table and he sat down, hoping not to attract anyone's attention: he wasn't sure he could completely hide his Attican accent and, if he was discovered, he should consider himself dead before his mission had even started.

The Peloponnesian War between the two poleis started two years before. He had taken part in the defence of his own city when the Spartans had attacked; with his bow he had flung proudly at his enemies, giving his own fellow citizens the time to seek refuge within the walls protecting Athens and Piraeus from the attacks.   
And from those walls he had run away, several days before, in order to avoid the tremendous plague spreading among the inhabitants, claiming people and throwing into Underworld  the souls of innocent victims.

To be fair, the plague hurled by the Gods was maybe the least significant reason why Alec was in the rival city. Actually, he wanted to save his sister. Months had passed since the last time he'd seen her, since when she had gone with her maidservants to the coast, where some soldiers had come upon them unexpectedly: Isabelle, the most bewitching girl of Athens and the daughter of one of the most important politicians of the city, was to be considered a great hostage.                    
Alec would have run immediately to save her, he would have liked to be taken him as a hostage and spare her all the suffering, but his parents thought they could settle the issue in a diplomatic way, though they were at war. _Fools_.

It was perhaps the first time he disobeyed his parents and went his own way, running away from the city and risking his life.          
He knew they would  punish him if he came back unhurt with his sister, as he knew they would have punished his half-brother for conspiring together that illogical plan. Also, he knew that if he wanted to save her, that would be the only way - the oracle had expressed his response clearly: _Aphrodite's daughter should consider herself safe when the siblings' blood will be rejoined_.                 
Who could save her but he? It was _his_ duty. It didn't matter if it meant huge risks and to sacrifice his life.   
He loved his sister and his family more than anything and he wouldn't hesitate to do the right thing.

A great turmoil brought him back to reality: Alec shifted his gaze from the wooden veining of the table to the cause of all that noise. A young man, with made up eyes as green as Arcadian meadows, was reciting some lines, entertaining the soldiers in the tavern, who were inciting him to go on with his exhibition.

«Do you want me to go on with Homer's verses? Or do you prefer Archilochus' iambuses?» he spoke ironically, maybe because he wanted to attract even more attention.       
_By Zeus, how can he stand all those eyes on him?_ thought Alec, who had always been shy and loath, perhaps because of his secret.    
«Or maybe you'd like another rhapsodist to recite those lines inspired by the Divine Apollo?».

The soldiers' exclamations increased and Alec couldn't help feeling uncomfortable when the rhapsodist directed his catlike glance at him. _Please, don't let what I think happen._      
«Oh good-looking stranger, would you like to recite something?» asked the rhapsodist with a mischievous shade barely hidden in his voice.          
Alec could feel his cheeks blushing, making his pale face red, while the soldiers were looking at him.   _Well, I'm screwed._

_«_ I-I... Uhm...» he stuttered unsure, he was desperately trying to remember anything. At this point all of the eyes were on him and the only way to make those soldiers look away was to go along with that absurd request. « _For I know how to lead off, in the lovely song of Lord Dionysus, the dithyrambs, when my wits have been stricken with the thunder-bolt of wine_ » he said then, trying to hide the tremor in his voice, though he wasn't so sure the verses he had just recited were correct: he never got into lyric poetry that much, he preferred by far the great feats of heroes like Hector, Achilles, Odysseus.

«Archilochus's dithyramb» commented the boy with green eyes, clapping histrionically and making Alec blush again. Alec looked down at his writhing hands in an irritable attempt of calming himself down.   
When he glanced up, the rhapsodist already started to extol the old poets again. Yet, he didn't look anywhere else but at Alec.

Alec thought that the young man was really handsome, but he frowned when he realised what he was thinking. _I_ _can't let myself be influenced, not when I've a mission so important to complete_.              
And yet the rhapsodist was so handsome, with both delicate and pointy features, thick black hair, made up green eyes, the long-limbed and athletic body moving gracefully and theatrically without looking unnatural.

Alec shook his head, trying to get those out-of-place-thoughts out of his mind, especially if he considered that probably he would never see that young man again. So he decided to stand up and go away quickly, after all he hadn't found a place where he could stay yet.               
When he went out of the tavern, the fresh air of the night gave his flushed face relief. He couldn't help looking at the shining stars, wondering where his sister was, whether she was fine - as much as possible -, if his parents were more worried or angry for his absence, if his half-brother was thinking of him.

Yeah, his half-brother. Actually, their relationship was extremely intimate: he felt like that blonde guy hadn't been adopted by his family. It was like Jace was _his_ brother.     
However, during all those years, Alec had become aware that what he felt for Jace wasn't just fraternal affection, it was a much more profound and ancestral feeling, a feeling that could be called love.                 
Yes, he loved his own brother and maybe that was the reason why he couldn't stand any of the girl who found Jace even remotely attractive - which he was.      

Alec feared that he could not have all the attentions of his brother any longer. He feared that their relationship could break or even just weaken: actually, he was literally terrified with this idea.           
However he tried to hearten and convince himself that those thoughts were just worries and that they would have been _parabatai_ forever. A bond like that could never be broken by anything or anyone. In the same way, his love couldn't be damaged.          

«By all the Olympian Gods!» said a voice from his back, stopping the impetus of his thoughts. Alec turned to face the speaker: the rhapsodist from the tavern showed, with his messy hair and black make up.

«Can I help you?» asked kindly Alec, realising too late what he had just said: how was he - a foreigner -supposed to help a native Spartan?

«Luckily I managed to reach you just in time, good-looking stranger» he answered unexpectedly, making Alec's cheeks turn red again.          

_Well_ , _it seems he can make me blush with a mere nothing_ , Alec thought while stuttering: «A-Are you t-talking to me?».

«Do you see anyone else?» replied maliciously the Spartan young man, as if he wanted to point out the foolishness of Alec's questions.

«So?» asked Alec, trying to pull himself together.

«So... I was wondering where you stay».

«What makes you think I'm going to stay?» provoked him Alec, surprising himself.

«Oh, I don't know. Maybe the fact that you've just arrived? I presume it by your tired limbs. Also, I've never met you before here in Sparta. I think you'd be a fool travelling at dead of night, unless you are a runaway or a criminal, of course».  The rhapsodist spoke with such a charisma that Alec found himself in awe and speechless. He realised he should say something when the rhapsodist raised an eyebrow, looking at him with expectation.

«Y-Yes, uhm, I-I...».

«Don't you know the route to your inn?».

«I haven't found an inn yet» he admitted, looking down. He felt uncomfortable, but he didn't know the reason why he felt that way.

The rhapsodist's face lit up, as if he was relieved. «Great!» he uttered with embellishment, making Alec look at him with curiosity.

«Great??» said Alec, opening his eyes widely.

«I'll put you up!» asserted the Spartan young man, with a tone which wouldn't allow any retort or contradiction.

«What are you talking about? I can't accept!». Alec tried to refuse the proposal, moving his hands anxiously and shifting his weight from one foot to the other.

«On behalf of Zeus Xenios, I offer you my hospitality» said Magnus solemnly, making Alec's stomach squeeze: the wise and pretentious words of his pedagogue echoed in his mind - _Don't ever refuse hospitality if offered with honesty._             

«I don't even know your name» objected Alec lamely.

The Spartan young man smiled cryptically: «I'm Magnus. And you?».

«The great» commented Alec, referring to the meaning of Magnus' name.

Magnus giggled: «I am. You're in front of the most famous rhapsodist and priest of Dionysus of Sparta».

_Oh, by Zeus. He can't be_ that _Magnus_ , thought Alec with terror, remembering the words of his fellow citizens about a famous Spartan priest called Magnus.

«And you are...? I don't think you've told me your name yet».

«Alexander. But you can call me Alec, if you prefer» said Alec rapidly, hoping that Magnus wouldn't notice that hidden Attican  accent when he pronounced his complete name.

«Alexander. Defender of men. I like it» commented Magnus. It seemed he was enjoying the flavour of those words on his lips. «Come on, Alexander, I'll lead you to my humble dwelling» he said finally. Then he proceed and beckoned to Alec to follow him.


	2. The guest

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello everyone!  
> As I promised, here you are the second chapter. I just wanted to thank all of you for reading, for the kudos, the bookmarks, the hits and the comment. It's unbelievable and I'm extremely happy 'bout it.  
> Unfortunately, you'll have to wait till the weekend for the next chapter: I haven't finished translating it yet and I've an exam this week, so I won't have much time. "See" you with the third chapter! As usual, see the bottom of the page for further notes with all the references.  
> Kisses from Italy,  
> Starsfallinglikerain.

 

 

 

**Chapter Two: The guest**

 

«Please, come in» said Magnus, opening the door and then drawing away to let his guest go in.  
Alec looked at the door with caution. Could he trust Magnus? Could he risk? Well, at that point he had no options left. Had he been smarter, he would have never admitted he hadn't found an inn yet.  
He took another look at the door jamb and then, taking a deep breath, he took the first step to enter the house of that young Spartan.

 Magnus told him to make himself at home while lighting the torches hung at the wall to light the room up.  
«Thanks» said Alec kindly, keeping looking around with scepticism. After all, he didn't know whether he was safe yet. Till he was there, in a rival city, he couldn't be.

«If you wait patiently just for a minute more, I'll make you an awfully good bed. In the meantime, lay down your possessions wherever you will» said Magnus, smiling, before disappearing in the next room stealthily.

Alec took his bow and quiver off of his shoulders, but he didn't lay them down: he wanted to keep them close in any case. He went on looking around: a dark wooden small table was at the centre of the room, surrounded by carpets and soft cushions, some statues of gods or young soldiers decorated the room. Some candles created shadows on the walls and on the ground.        
Something scraping against his legs frightened him and he could barely stifle a curse seeing that it was just a cat. «Curse you!» he said, maybe speaking to himself rather than to the cat. Considering his reaction, it was clear that he was on the edge.

A bubbling laugh made him glance up: Magnus just reappeared. «It seems he likes you» winked Magnus, kneeling down to send for the cat. He arched and purred when Magnus petted him.

«He...He frightened me» stuttered Alec, his heart beating fast in his chest.

«I noticed. I think your limbs need a good amount of sleep» said Magnus, standing up. The cat caterwauled. «Fine, Chairman, you got the upper hand» he grumbled, kneeling down again to take him up in his arms.

«How did you just call him?» asked Alec, surprised and amused, without even realizing he was smiling and , also, more calm.

«Chairman. His name is Chairman Meow» answered Magnus, fixing his green eyes on the Athenian young man.

Just then Alec noticed the lengthened form of Magnus' pupils and the yellowish streakiness of the irises. «Your eyes...» he murmured, then blaming himself for having slipped that comment from his tongue: it was like his lips were furnished with life and he couldn't have any control over his body. What the hell was happening to him? Of course Magnus was an handsome young man, but he shouldn't behave like that. And his brother...

«They look like Chairman's eyes, don't they? Lots of people told me so» said Magnus maliciously. Alec got the hint, but maybe for his tiredness, maybe for the confusion, he decided not to reply.

Magnus understood that the Athenian wouldn't respond in like manner and so he asked Alexander to follow him, since he was going to lead him to the guest-room. Every now and then he took a look behind just to be sure that Alec was following him and he noticed that Alec was looking around, as if he expected someone to appear from the adjacent rooms.       
_Perhaps he thinks there's a wife or someone else waiting for me in bed?_ , wondered Magnus, though he was not sure that Alexander got his hint  shortly before. _Perhaps he's just curious_ , suggested a voice inside his mind, which he decided to give hearing. _Probably that's how it is_. _  
_ However, no man could push him back. He was the High Priest of Dionysus. Therefore he had no doubts that, sooner or later, Alexander would be his.

   


 

*****

 

  
The following morning, Alec opened his eyes. From the closed shutters a thin bright line entered, making him understand that it was late in the morning and the sun was shining over the city.    

On the contrary of what he expected, sleepiness had prevailed and he had fallen asleep as soon as he had laid his head on the pillow of the bed Magnus had made for him. Now he felt refreshed and ready to start his mission.

He got up and opened the wooden shutters, letting the daylight overwhelm the room; he closed his eyes a little, since they were accustomed to penumbra, and as soon as he could keep them open without his irises being pierced by sunshine he checked the position of his objects: the bow and quiver were where he had left them, the same for the bundle containing his few possessions and the door was still closed. Next to the bed there was a little wooden bedside table, where Magnus had put a washbowl with some water and a cloth.

Alec was surprised by all those attentions, but he was happy he could wash his face. The water felt fresh against his skin, it was a relief after all those long travelling days; he dried himself off with the cloth and he ran his fingers through his messy hair to groom them. His brother took often fun of him for his look when he went to gymnasium still half-asleep.

When he finished, he went towards the door and opened it, almost bumping into Magnus. «Magnus!» he uttered, blushing for the vicinity of their bodies.              

«Oh, Alexander, good morning» said Magnus with total nonchalance. Alec wondered how he could always feel that comfortable.

«You need something?» asked Alec.

Magnus : «I wondered if you were awake and, if so, I just wanted to give you some clean clothes and inform you that breakfast's ready» he said, handing Alec some clothes out.

Alec looked at them, he didn't expect such a hospitality: of course it was the host's duty to provide the guest a room, food and clean clothes, but Alec wasn't sure he could accept. What would he do if Magnus found out that he was an Athenian, an enemy?

«I don't think I can accept» he said, looking down, but Magnus handed them out again.           

«I insist».

_Don't ever refuse hospitality if offered with honesty._    

Alec finally grabbed them, saying he would wear them and then he would join Magnus, whom he thanked once again for such a kindness. Magnus restricted himself to smile.     
After  getting dressed, Alec put his old clothes in the bundle and went to the main room, where Magnus was waiting for him. The table he had seen the previous evening was prepared with barley bread, milk and just picked figs. His gaze became even more surprised when he saw _staititas,_ he hadn't been eating them for ages. His stomach started gurgling in front of so many delicacies.

«I can tell by your eyes you like what you see» commented Magnus, with his ever present malicious shade in his voice. Alec smiled without answering. «Please, help yourself» incited him Magnus. Alec hesitated just  a moment more and then he literally rushed upon the food: he hadn't been eating a decent meal for days.

Magnus looked at Alec in silence, noticing all those adorable details that the previous night he didn't manage to see: his long eyelashes, his rosy lips, his pale skin, the way his muscles darted at any move.  
Of course he had had some crushes before, but something in Alec attracted him particularly - it was like something in the Athenian young man was telling him that it would be different with Alec.           
However Alec seemed so introverted, he didn't allow Magnus to ask him personal questions yet and until then the hospitality law forced Magnus not to poke in.

Alec glanced up in that moment and their eyes got linked with each other. Alec felt attracted to Magnus too, but he knew that some way it was _wrong_. His homosexuality wasn't a problem for their society at all, but it was Alec who didn't feel comfortable with it: maybe it was because he had never declared he was homosexual, neither he had had a relationship or even a crush on someone but his half-brother. _And now he felt attracted to a Spartan, an enemy_.

«I still cannot understand the reason why you're so kind, I mean, you don't even know me» he thought out loud.

«The same reason why you decided to trust me» said Magnus peacefully.

Alec was speechless and he felt his cheeks getting red as if they were on fire. «What makes you think that I...» he started to say, panicking, but he was interrupted by Magnus' bubbling laugh.

«You're a young Athenian, I got it in the very instant you recited those verses in the tavern».

Alec was silent, the words dying in his throat, blocked by the terror of having been discovered. Perhaps that's how it happened: they hired an amiable guy like Magnus, they made the spy feel comfortable enough to let his guard down and then they caught him.  
He didn't have the time to start looking for Isabelle yet, he was already doomed. That was how the matter stood and he could even try to choke himself with a cushion: sentries and soldiers were surely aware of his presence there and they would destroy him if he only tried to escape.

Magnus saw the terrified gaze of the young Athenian and, as much as possible, tried to reassure Alec he could trust him: «You're secret is safe, Alexander».

«Have you told so all the ones you sentenced to death?» said Alec harshly, standing up and walking nervously.

Magnus sighed. «I can't tell you the reasons why, since it would be too risky, but you _are_ safe».

«Oh yes, of course I am! Have you warned the guards yet? How many of them are already out there? By Zeus, how could I be so naive!» uttered Alec in a frustrated tone, showing all his rage.

«There's no guard ready to kill you out there, Alexander». Magnus tried to stay calm.

«You'd better kill me here. Come on» provoked him Alec.

Magnus smiled enigmatically and shrugged: «I can't».

«What?» asked Alec, stopping his walk and looking at Magnus, immobile, his stomach twisted with rage, fear, frustration. He was a mess: he had failed his mission, his _first_ and _only one_ fundamental mission.  
_Isabelle, for what it's worth, I'm sorry. I love you, young sister_ , he thought. He was sure of what Magnus was going to say: he couldn't kill him since they should torture him, interrogate him and see if they managed to get some useful information. Just when he'd become a useless burden they'd kill him.

But what Magnus said shocked him much more: «I can't, Alexander. I can't kill you or we'll never succeed in saving your sister».

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> 1) Hospitality: Xenia is the ancient Greek concept of hospitality, which was particularly important since Greeks believed that gods mingled among human beings. If one had poorly played host to a stranger, there was the risk of incurring the wrath of a god disguised as the stranger.  
> Xenia consisted of two basic rules: the ones of respect between the host and the guest. The host had to be hospitable and provide the guest with food, drink, bath and a gift when he/she left. Also, the host wasn't allowed to ask personal questions till when the guest had finished the meals or if the guest didn't give their permission. Conversely the guest had to be courteous and, if possible, give the host a gift.  
> 2)Breakfast: Greeks had three or four meals per day. Breakfast (akratismos) consisted of barley bread dipped in wine, sometimes complemented by figs or olives. They also ate pancakes called teganites. Teganites were made with wheat flour, olive oil, honey and curdled milk, and were served for breakfast. Another kind of pancake was staititas, often topped with honey, sesame and cheese.


	3. Isabelle

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hi guys!   
> My school term finished yesterday and I'm sooo relieved! Finally I can take a little break before starting classes again.   
> Here's the third chapter, hope you like it: I'd be glad if you let me know in the comments. Of course at the bottom you'll find all the references and explanations.   
> Thank you for reading, the comments, bookmarks and kudos. I'll update on Monday or Tuesday.   
> Have a nice weekend! Kisses,   
> Starsfallinglikerain.

 

****

 

 

 

**Chapter Three - Isabelle**

 

 

«What did you say?» snapped Alec. He was incredulous.              
A mixture of panic, relief and doubt was whirling quickly inside him, none of those feelings managing to prevail. After all he wouldn't be relieved till when he would really see his sister again: it could be a trap. He wasn't sure Magnus would help him as he affirmed.

«Isabelle, your sister. I know you're here to save her. Tiresias appeared to me in my dreams and announced me your arrival. I didn't take that dream seriously till when I saw you in the tavern yesterday» explained Magnus staring back at Alec, who was still standing, his shoulders were stiff and his chest wheezy, as if he'd stopped after running for a long distance.

«How do I know you're telling the truth? It could be a deceit to sentence me to death, you could be a member of Krypteia!» said Alec in a distrustful tone. Magnus raised his lips in a magnetic and slanting smile, which made Alec's heart flinch, though the tension between them and Alec's suspicions.

«You can't be sure of it. You can only decide to trust me» answered Magnus. For a moment he feared that Alec would punch him in the face because of his vague answers and reassurances. But how could he be reassuring when _he_ himself wasn't peaceful? He'd been living in fear for years, trying not to ever let his guard down, though he was sure the Spartans didn't suspect him of anything.                  
He couldn't confess he was an Athens' spy even if he was a native Spartan. He just couldn't. If Alec was caught and tortured - of course he would never allow it, he'd do anything not to let this happen -,  it was his duty to complete the mission and save Isabelle. On the contrary, if _he_ was caught and tortured, he'd deny he knew his guest's identity. Anyway, the aim was the same: saving Alexander's sister.

«What if I didn't want to? What if I decided not to?» said Alec harshly, his blue eyes were ice-cold.

«It would take you several weeks to find some clues about your sister's fate».

«Fate? What are you talking about? Is she hurt? Speak!» he said impetuously, the diffidence in his voice quickly replaced by apprehension.

«I don't know it for certain, but I know where she's kept imprisoned: she's serving Priest Meliorn in the temple of Ares» explained Magnus.

«My sister! A servant!» uttered Alec, falling on his knees and covering his face with his hands, fearing the worst. A flame was burning at the centre of his chest, a desire of vengeance was starting to rise, rage and sorrow mixed and his eyes itched while he tried to chase the tears away. He wouldn't cry.                 
He felt a delicate hand leaning prudently on his left shoulder, so he moved he hands away from his face slightly, ready to counter: if Magnus wanted to backstab him, that would be an opportune moment, since he was at the most of his vulnerability.

«Alexander» only said Magnus, his voice was low and raspy and full of something that sounded like sincere and sympathetic pity.

_Damn it, he_ needed _help_.

«Alexander, please, trust me. Accept my support» said Magnus again.

Alec, defeated, put a hand on Magnus', which was still on his shoulder. «Swear it» he murmured. He wasn't sure Magnus had heard him till when he kneeled down in front of him, graciously stretching his hand out to grab Alec's.

«I, Magnus, High Priest of Dionysus, solemnly swear to help Alexander, born in Athens, in his search for his sister Isabelle. I solemnly swear not to have any intention to damage them and to offer all the protection they need. I swear it before the Gods, may Zeus be the sacred warrantor of this inviolable bond».

Those words came out naturally from his mouth, it was as if he'd been reciting them, as if he'd been repeating them in his mind all his life and he had finally had the chance to pronounce them.

Alec cleared his throat, knowing that it was up to him and that once they would have stipulated the agreement it wouldn't have been possible to draw back, vacillate or change his mind. He hesitated just for a moment, wondering if he was making the right choice, but then his sister's face appeared in his mind and his fingers automatically grabbed Magnus' hand more firmly.     
«I, Alexander, Athens inhabitant, solemnly swear to accept the help offered by Magnus, born in Sparta and High Priest of Dionysus, for the search for my sister Isabelle. I solemnly swear not to ever doubt his sincerity. I swear it before the Gods, may Zeus be the sacred warrantor of this inviolable bond».

«Be it» ended Magnus.

«Be it» repeated Alec.

Their fates were connected forever.

  
***

_Three weeks later_

 

  
The moon was shining bright in the sky and it lighted up the empty streets of Sparta.   
By then the taverns were closed, being late in the night, the lights inside houses were turned off and all the inhabitants were sleeping. Or, at least, all of them were but Alexander and Magnus.

Alec was staring at the flame of the candle which rippled when a gust of wind blew through the shutter draughts. Lying on what had become his own bed, he felt extremely nervous: after all those days spent looking for clues about his sister and developing a plan to save her, having been vigilant not to be discovered, he had frayed nerves.              
However, adrenalin kept running through his veins, especially in that moment when it was just a matter of hours - or maybe _minutes_ \- before he and Magnus got in on the action.

Yeah, Magnus. In some ways, he had got used to his lively presence full of sexual innuendo, his razzmatazz and his kindness. The priest had never been indiscreet toward him in any occasion, though it was clear to both of them that they had _something._ Whatever it was, Alec wouldn't have been able to define it: was it friendship? Attraction?

Some feeble knocks on the door detracted Alec's attention from his thoughts. «Yeah?» said he, though he perfectly knew it was Magnus coming to wake him up: time had come. He got up quickly, running his fingers through his black and messy hair, while Magnus opened the door slowly. In the other hand he had a torch which made his yellowish-green irises stand out.         
As usual, Alec's stomach dropped but he tried to ignore that pretty constant feeling: he had to concentrate only on the mission.

«Alexander, time has come» talked quietly Magnus, Alec nodded and picked his dagger, bow and quiver.  
He hoped he would have had no need of them and that everything would have gone smoothly.

«Let's go» he said coming up beside Magnus.

They went out silently, trying not to make a noise while walking through the streets. They had followed that route so many times during the previous days that Alec knew them perfectly: probably he would have been able to reach the Acropolis and Ares' temple even with his eyes closed.

«You're nervous» murmured Magnus so quietly that Alec thought he had imagined it. He nodded, biting his lower lip. «Don't worry, everything will be just fine».

«I hope so» said Alec, strengthening the grip on his bow gradually as they approached the holy place.  
He mentally brushed up on what they had arranged: Magnus would go on patrol to look for Isabelle and to see if there were any guards, then Alec would take action after the signal, turning the temple up, grabbing his sister and finally he would run northerly, sure that sooner or later Magnus would catch up with them.  
After that mission he couldn't stay there any longer, they'd surely discover him.

«Do you remember all the steps of our plan?» murmured Magnus while they were crouching down behind a great boulder.

«Sure. What about you?».

«Of course. A prolonged whistle for "go ahead", two quick whistles if there are guards» said Magnus and Alec nodded repeatedly. «Cheer up, Alexander, and may Zeus help us» he said finally, patting Alec's leg in a reassuring way before standing up and being counted, ready to do his part.

Alec touched lightly the point where Magnus' hand had touched his thigh, his skin was burning though the contact had been seeped in through the clothes. Who knows what effect it would have had on his nude skin... _By Zeus, Alec, not now!_ he scolded himself mentally, trying to get those images out of his mind, those images which turned into a warm wave hitting his burning cheeks.

He breathed in deeply, hoping he'd calm down and recover his concentration while he was waiting for the signal, which arrived soon. A limpid and prolonged whistle shattered the silence and the calm of the night, making his heart beat faster for anxiety.

He stood up, strengthened the grip on the bow and he started to run toward the temple as a cat, rapid and precise: he leaned to every wall, checking every corner, since he wanted to be sure he could go ahead. He did trust Magnus, however it was better being completely sure there wasn't a hidden guard lurking and ready to catch the two of them.

After passing the colonnade unscathed, he arrived to the entrance leading to the naos, where Magnus was waiting for him. «What the hell are you doing here? You should still be checking if there is any guard left!» scolded him Alec, talking in a low voice and trying not to show the sudden terror in his voice. _What if it had been a sham?_

«Meliorn isn't here, clearly he went away. We have a little time, he could come back at any moment» said Magnus agitatedly, inciting Alec to open the doors and enter them. Once the doors opened, they got into the closed and narrow room, the statue of Ares was lighted up by countless candles dripping wax along their stem.

«Who dares to enter and outrage the sacred cella of Ares?» asked a voice in the darkness.        
Alec and Magnus looked at each other, fearing the worst. _It's over_ , thought the two of them but then a female figure showed.

Alec could feel his heart flipping in his chest when he recognised that long, straight dark hair, those dark eyes and those full lips. _It was his sister, and she was alive, standing there in front of him!_

«Isabelle?».

«Alec?».

He let the weapons fall and he ran towards his sister to hug her: they hugged each other in a tight and vigorous embrace, trying to infuse each other all their joy, their relief and their love.

«Alec, what the hell are you doing here? It's dangerous, are you crazy?!» said Isabelle in a worried tone, holding Alec's face in her hands.

«I couldn't  give up on you, little sister» he just said, leaning his cheek against his sister's hand, delighting in such a familiar touch.

«We need to get you away, Isabelle» participated Magnus, interrupting the mood.

«Who are you?» she asked, frightened, but Alec reassured her about Magnus' identity. «Meliorn is coming back, it's risky, you must leave now!» she said, but her brother declined any attempt of convincing him: he wouldn't leave without her.                   
  
«They'll find us, Alec, they'll find us» she protested, trying to persuade him to get away without her: at least one of them would have been safe.

«Isabelle, I'm _not_ leaving without you. We'll get a little advantage if we leave right now» he said for the umpteenth time. His sister looked at him, looking unsure and thoughtful, but finally she consented.

Alec picked her up, since her ankles were blocked by big chains: they hoped they'd find some horses on the road to Athens, though the chances were truly lacking.                 
They walked as fast as they could, trying to leave the city behind them before the sun could raise. They said nothing as they walked away but every now and then the two young men glanced at each other with joy, enthusiasm and hope. They had succeeded! Their getaway had just begun and, more importantly, they were together.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> 1) Tiresias: In Greek mythology, Tiresias was a blind prophet of Apollo in Thebes, famous for clairvoyance and for being transformed into a woman for seven years.   
> 2) Krypteia: The Krypteia (from Greek kruptós, "hidden, secret things") was an ancient Spartan state institution involving young Spartan men. Its goal and nature are still a matter of discussion and debate among historians, but some scholars consider the krypteia to be a kind of secret police and state security force.  
> 3) Ares: Ares is the Greek god of war. He is one of the Twelve Olympians, and the son of Zeus and Hera. In Greek literature, he often represents the physical or violent and untamed aspect of war. In Sparta he was worshipped as the model soldier. In Sparta, Ares was viewed as a model soldier: his resilience, physical strength, and military intelligence were unrivaled. Human sacrifices were offered to him, which is kind of remarkable since it was normally extremely taboo in Ancient Greece.  
> 4) Naos: in Ancient Greek and Roman temples the naos (or cella) is a room at the centre of the building, usually containing a cult image or statue representing the particular deity venerated in the temple. The cella is typically a simple, windowless, rectangular room with a door or open entrance at the front behind a colonnaded portico facade.


	4. Pharmakon

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hi guys!  
> How are you? Have you seen the last episode of Shadowhunters? I loved it (especially I adored Alec, Magnus and Max), though I would have liked a Malec kiss haha  
> Here's the penultimate chapter of this story, and it is also the longest so far. I think you're gonna like it: please let me know in the comments ^^ As usual, you'll find all the explanations and notes at the bottom of the page.  
> I think I'll update and post the last chapter on Friday or Saturday, it depends on how long it'll take me to translate it. However, I'll update as soon as possible.  
> Kisses,  
> Starsfallinglikerain.

 

 

 

**Chapter Four - Pharmakon**

 

 

_Fifteen days later, toward Athens_

  
They had been walking for days by now. They were tired out and the weather was sweltering: their skin was beaded with perspiration and their eyes were bothered by sweat drops, their throats charred. At this point it shouldn't have taken much longer to arrive to Athens - they comforted themselves - since  they had been walking every day from the crack of dawn to sunset, stopping every now and then only to drink some water at springs or to take a break under a tree just long enough to catch their breath.    
They tried to watch out for sentries or groups of soldiers wandering around those territories and this was the reason why they preferred secondary routes, though they were more arduous.

Isabelle got better and the bruises on her body, caused by bashes, reabsorbed almost completely thanks to Magnus' treatments; besides his being an excellent rhapsodist as well as a priest of Dionysus, Alec learnt that he was also a great apothecary.

«You're resourceful» he had told him one day, while his sister freshened up in a river not so far from them. Magnus had smiled with his theatrical attitude and had tried to lessen what Alec had said, but Alec hadn't allowed him to.

«You have too much faith in me, Alexander».

«I owe you my life».

  
The sun almost set and Isabelle felt her legs heavy, but she didn't dare to say it: she didn't want them to stop because of her, not now that they were near home, and neither she wanted her brother nor Magnus to pick her up. She wasn't embarrassed, but she preferred to get along by herself.

As if he had heard her thoughts, the rhapsodist said: «There's a bare patch over there, we could camp for the night» and everyone agreed immediately.

Alec was tired up too and a total wreck: after so many days spent in a constant nervous tension, he felt physically and mentally exhausted; but he had to hold on, it'd take only a few days to arrive to Athens and he couldn't give up, not now.                 
He sat down leaning his back against a fallen tree, his legs stretched in front of him; Isabelle sat down too not far and Magnus went to seek for firewood.       
The rough bark prickled his skin through the clothes and the thin blades of grass tickled his fingers surrounding his bow handgrip, while the quiver was laid down nearby.

Alec closed his eyes and instantly Magnus' face appeared under his lowered eyelids: it had been happening for some time, Alec couldn't explain it - or maybe he didn't want to admit it -, but he did nothing to send those images away. He just stayed there to contemplate them, to admire the countless shades of the rhapsodist's catlike eyes, his olive skin and his dark hair. And every time Alec's heart lost a heartbeat.

His sister's alarmed voice broke forth to freeze his thoughts: «Alec, watch out!».

He opened his eyes, frightened, thinking that some soldiers were going to catch them, but Isabelle was staring at something above his left shoulder: he turned slightly and he found the source of all that agitation.  
A scorpion was incredibly near to his neck - just for a moment he got chills and he felt a shudder running down his backbone. He tried to move quickly, but the animal, feeling menaced, attacked him before he was even able to think: an intense pain hit him at the base of his neck, Alec moved putting a hand on the aching point, while the scorpion disappeared in the grass, after falling down.

Isabelle shouted again and she ran towards her brother to check how he was feeling; his skin was rather reddish and felt hot at the touch, but just a little drop of blood showed the wound.       
«Magnus!» she called, hoping that Magnus would rush and in the meantime going on checking on Alec, who started to breathe with difficulty. «Magnus!».

«Alexander! Alexander! What happened?» asked he rushing, letting the firewood he had picked fall  when he saw the scene. In a moment he was at Alec's side and he put a hand on his sweating forehead.

«A scorpion stung him, I-I... I don't know what to do! He can't... He just can't...» she mumbled anxiously, but he tried to calm her as much as it was possible in such a situation.

_Think, Magnus, think_ , he enjoined himself, as if such a thought could solve the matter. His catlike eyes wandered lively, moving from the grass to Isabelle to Alexander. He had to find a solution and he had to do it quickly, considering Alec's gasping breath and his pale skin - he couldn't prepare an herb infusion, he had neither the materials nor the time. What should he do? What should he do?         
An idea struck his mind. Could it work? After all, he didn't have many options left.

«Maybe I can do something».

«Do it, Magnus, whatever it is!» she incited him, raising her brother's head.

«Fine. Hold his head up, I have to do it quickly» he commanded, kneeling down by Alec's side. He leaned out and soon his lips reached Alec's skin and they started to suck, trying to get the venom out of the wound.  
Though he was clearly attracted to Alexander, in a way that he had never experienced before with anyone else, he didn't think about the situation, their closeness or the taste Alec's skin, no: his only thought was that he desperately wanted to save him. He couldn't have forgiven himself if Alec had died just a few days from home and for a damned scorpion bite.

When it seemed to him that he had extracted all the venom, he spit everything on the grass, making grimaces because of the unpleasant and bitter taste in his mouth. He looked at Alec, whose breath was less gasping, and then he looked at the point where he had leaned his lips: it was purple.

«Will he be okay?» asked Isabelle, who was still visibly worried.

«He _must_ heal» answered Magnus in a low voice. He looked once again at the Athenian young man who was lying there and then he got up, saying that he had to light the fire for the night.

When the darkness came, Alec was still unconscious. Magnus and Isabelle had eaten their meal in silence, constantly glancing at him, hoping that he would wake up or at least show a little improvement. They decided that they would sleep in turns, so that he would be constantly looked after, and Isabelle wanted to look after him first.

Magnus agreed and lied down by the fireplace, but he wasn't able to sleep. He restricted himself to close his eyes and listen to fire crackling and firewood burning. He _couldn't_ sleep, not with his heart filled with concern.

Some hours later, Isabelle called him, asking him to relieve her. Magnus got up and took over for her by Alec's side. When he was sure that Isabelle had fallen asleep, he took Alec's hand and he simply caressed it. He looked at Alec's pale face and at the shadows that the firelight created on it, he caressed with his eyes Alec's dark hair, through which he would have liked to run his fingers, his long eyelashes and finally his full lips.

Magnus sighed, tracing with his thumb random lines on Alec's tapered hand - suddenly, a slight grip made his heart jump. Alexander had just moved. A least movement, yeah, but he was _sure_ that he hadn't imagined it. Alec had just gripped his hand, though with a feverish gesture. _Oh, Alexander_.

Magnus felt his heart unburden and fill with relief and he grasped a little bit tightly Alec's hand. He thought that maybe he had succeeded, maybe Alec would survive. He would be Alec's cure.

 

***

  
  
_Two days later, Athens_

 

Alec's eyelids were awfully heavy and he started to fear that  his eyes were stuck together. He struggled to wake up, though he had been lost in a state between sleep and wakefulness for a while, but he couldn't precisely say for how long.

A point at the base of his neck kept on pulsating  and when he brushed against it he felt a shooting stitch which made him moan with pain.             

A memory crossed his mind like a lightning: Isabelle's scream, the scorpion, its bite... Magnus?               
He wasn't sure that what he remembered about Magnus had _really_ happened. Probably it was just a delirium, a consequence of the scorpion's venom.

«Alexander?» asked a voice in an hesitant tone.

Alec fluttered his eyelashes a couple of times and he half-closed his eyes, the diffused and amber daylight still annoyed him. When he could see, catlike eyes and dark messy hair appeared, making his heart jump in his chest: he hadn't got used to Magnus' effect on him yet.

«Alexander, are you awake?» repeated Magnus. Alec stretched his lips to smile and tried to get up, but a rushed as well as delicate hand leaned on his naked chest to stop his movement: «You don't have to force yourself» said the rhapsodist in a warning tone.

With a complaining whining, Alec fell into those which turned out to be soft pillows and clean sheets. «Where am I? How long has it been since...?» he started to ask, confused, letting his eyes wander through the room.

«You're at home, Alexander. Your sister and I watched over you throughout the night and at dawn a patrol found us» explained Magnus quickly, crossing his arms.

«But... My parents, Isabelle and... Jace...» he said ramblingly, but the rhapsodist reassured him about his relatives' fate.

«They're all safe, don't worry. Your home is far from the quarantine quarters. However, the city is into chaos: Pericles is dead».

That news shocked him, he could barely imagine what would have been the war outcome if for any reason the Spartans had attacked them in such a catastrophic moment.

«Anyway, you need to rest. I'll go and tell your parents you're awake and you're fine» said Magnus, drifting apart from Alec's bed and going towards the closed door; he left Alec alone with his thoughts, without giving him the possibility to thank him for saving his life.

  
 

***

  
  
It was late in the night and Alec was looking at the landscape outside the window: houses, the Piraeus, the walls, the moon's reflection on the calm sea. If he kept an eye out, he could almost hear the undertow and the waves shattering against the rocks.

He bit his lower lip, thinking about his parent's relieved looks. Though they were extremely grateful to him for bringing Isabelle back, they couldn't help scold him harshly for disobeying the orders and for not letting them settle the issue with a diplomatic covenant. _Fools_.                                                                             
He had looked down, without replying, restricting himself to think about the oracle's words.

Jace had visited him too. He went with a girl, Clarissa, the daughter of another important Athenian family, if he had understood well.  When Jace had entered the room with her, Alec had felt a certain peeve twirling his stomach, but it was nothing like the wave of jealousy which used to overwhelm him in such situations.  
To be fair, he had often thought of Magnus and with a certain surprise he had become aware that whenever someone knocked on the door Alec hoped it was him. But it never happened. Since when he had gone in the morning to advise Alec's parents, Magnus had disappeared.

Alec sat up, slightly massaging the base of his neck. He wondered where the rhapsodist had ended up and, above all, he thought that he hadn't thanked him yet for saving his life once again. He decided to go and look for Magnus, not considering the fact that it was late in the night and that in all probability the rhapsodist was sleeping.

He got out of bed slowly, delighting in the feeling of the ground under his naked feet, then he grabbed the first clothes he saw and he wore them, heading to the door. When he opened it and exited a warm body collided with his.     
«Oh, by Zeus» he cursed, glancing up and meeting Magnus' catlike irises: his heart stopped in his chest when he noticed their closeness, not to mention the fact that it wasn't the first time they found themselves in such a situation.

«Alexander» recovered Magnus confidently, trying  to stop staring at Alec's lips.

«Magnus, I-I was...» started Alec.

«Yeah?» asked Magnus.

«I was, uhm, I was looking for you» he said all at once. «I wanted to thank you» he added then, feeling he had to account for his action.

«For?».

«For saving my life».

«I couldn't let you die, Alexander».

Alec bit his lower lip. «Anyway, thank you. What about you? Why were you heading here?» he asked after a while. Magnus hunched his shoulders and Alec got the fleeting impression that he got embarrassed, but he couldn't say it for sure because of the behaviour that Magnus usually showed.

«I wanted to check how you feel» confessed the rhapsodist.

«Oh» murmured Alec, surprised, and all of a sudden, on the basis of what impetus he knew not, he moved: «Please, come in».

Magnus raised his eyebrow and, after a moment which seemed as long as a century, he decided to accept the invitation and he crossed the threshold of the Athenian's room.

When the door closed behind their backs, the idea of being alone with Magnus made Alec giddy: he felt that particular attraction which pushed him toward Magnus like never before, maybe because he had previously been busy with the thought of saving Isabelle, the fear of Magnus being a spy who would betray him at the earliest opportunity. But it hadn't happened and, actually, an indissoluble bond linked them and a complicit destiny wedged them in like tiles in a mosaic.

«Can I check your wound?» asked Magnus.

Alec turned and, feeling a lump in his throat and the adrenaline running fast through his veins, he restricted himself to nod. He moved closer to the bed and he sat on the edge of it; hung to the wall, a torch lit the room up.        
At every Magnus' movement, he held his breath: he was terribly nervous and agitated as well as aware of the more and more diminished closeness between their bodies.                               
He reclined his head slightly to let Magnus check the wound, feeling a shiver running down his spine when Magnus' hand leaned kindly on his reddened skin.

«Oh, Alexander» murmured Magnus barely.

Alec, hearing Magnus calling him, turned: they looked at each other in silence, till when Magnus finally decided to void the distance between their lips. They collided, dazed and desirous of each other: Magnus, though his several affairs, had never felt that way, nor he had felt so _inexperienced_ and _powerless_ as it occurred to him in front of Alec's _innocent_ beauty.

Their lips half-closed and their kisses became more and more deep and passionate - without knowing how, Alec found himself surrounded by pillows and sheets, Magnus' amazing smell inebriated him.        
Magnus was kissing him _anywhere_ , on any strip of his skin, leaving behind any contact a pleasing and softened tingling.

Alec thought he was going to be driven crazy when Magnus' lips kissed his chest and returned along his throat in a vague reminiscence of what had happened only two days before, though in totally different and inauspicious circumstances.

They murmured their names while passion overwhelmed them and their pelvises collided, they were totally lost in that sequence of overpowering, astonishing, passionate feelings.         
While their clothes left their more and more linked bodies, Alec understood that every decision, action, _thought_ he had made since Isabelle got kidnapped led him to that moment, he understood that everything fit perfectly and he understood that what they were doing - _making love -_ wasn't just in line with their intertwined fates, but it was also totally, unconditionally right.                                                                                          
And, then, there was nothing left to understand.

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> 1) Pharmakon: in Ancient Greek this term means both venom and cure. I referred it to the venom of the scorpion and to Magnus, which heals Alec.  
> 2) Apothecary: Apothecary was a medical professional who formulated and dispensed "materia medica" to physicians, surgeons and patients. The apothecaries' investigation of herbal and chemical ingredients was a precursor to the modern sciences of chemistry and pharmacology.  
> In addition to dispensing medicines, the apothecary offered general medical advice and a range of services that are now performed by other specialist practitioners, such as surgeons and obstetricians. Apothecary shops sold ingredients and the medicines they prepared wholesale to other medical practitioners, as well as dispensing them to patients.  
> 3) Pericles: Pericles was a prominent and influential Greek statesman, orator and general of Athens during the Golden Age—specifically the time between the Persian and Peloponnesian wars.  
> Pericles turned the Delian League into an Athenian empire and led his countrymen during the first two years of the Peloponnesian War. He died of plague in 429 BC. According to Thucydides - an Ancient Greek historian - Pericles' death was a disaster for Athens, since his successors were all inferior to him.

**Author's Note:**

> 1) Red Rain: the title of the story refers to Peter Gabriel's song I quoted at the very beginning. It inspired me. Also, you'll understand why I chose to use it as the title of the whole story in the last chapter.   
> 2) The Peloponnesian War was fought by Athens and its empire against the Peloponnesian League lead by Sparta. It started in 431 and it lasted till 404 BC.   
> 3) Plaugue of Athens: the plague of Athens was an epidemic which devastated Athens during the second years of the Peloponnesian War.  
> 4) Oracle: an oracle was a person or agency considered to provide wise and insightful counsel or prophetic predictions or precognition of the future, inspired by the gods.  
> 5) Homer: the author of the Iliad and Odyssey, which are epic poems. They were considered fundamental texts for Ancient Greek literature.  
> 6) Archilochus: Greek lyric poet.  
> 7) Iambus: iambic poetry was a genre of ancient Greek poetry that included but was not restricted to the iambic meter and whose origins were linked to the cults of Demeter and Dionysus. The genre featured insulting and obscene language and sometimes it is referred to as "blame poetry".   
> 8) Dithyramb: the dithyramb was an ancient Greek hymn sung and danced in honour of Dionysus, the god of wine and fertility.  
> 9) Zeus Xenios: Zeus was the sky and thunder god in ancient Greek religion, who ruled as king of the gods of Mount Olympus. Zeus Xenios, Philoxenon, or Hospites is Zeus as the patron of hospitality (in Ancient Greek "xenia") and guests, avenger of wrongs done to strangers.  
> 10) Magnus: in Latin it means "the great".  
> 11) Alexander: the name Alexander is derived from the Greek "Aléxandros", meaning "Defender of the people" or "Defending men" and also, "Protector of men". It's a compound of the verb "alexein" (which means "to ward off, to avert, to defend") and the noun anēr (which means "man").


End file.
